[Nevermore] 7 – Soldier of Godrick Defeated

It wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a dream.

That sentence is what kept circling around Jaune's head as he continued walking towards Vale.

By tomorrow, Jaune would reach Vale, and from there, he planned on becoming a Hunter-in-training at Beacon. He just hoped the pass he paid for would get him through and into the exam. Jaune paid his entire life savings for the forged documents...If it didn't work? Jaune had another plan; if he couldn't be a Hunter in the traditional way, he'd try to become a Rogue Hunter.

Rogue Hunters were independent Hunters who were not officially trained by one of the Academies or the Kingdoms, meaning that, while they typically got less pay, benefits, and were not formally recognized by the Kingdoms, anyone could become a Rogue Hunter, though most who do did not live long enough to see past their first year as a Rogue Hunter. Though that was not all, Rogue Hunters were considered outlaws by the Kingdoms, meaning most Rogue Hunters stuck to the outskirts of civilization.

As much as Jaune didn't want to become a Rogue Hunter, if it was the only path that lay ahead of him, he'd take it willingly, for that was his dream. To be a Hero. To be like his Father, his Grandfather, his Grandfather's father, all the way to the Arc Founder.

He was ripped away from his thoughts when yet another Beowolf pack stumbled upon him. They were becoming even more frequent to run into the last several days, and Jaune was lucky if he didn't run into a pack or two every hour he walked. 

Each time he slew a Beowolf, a stream of golden energy entered his body.

It wasn't a dream.

He spent hours racking his brain over what could be happening to him until he finally figured it out.

It must have been his sembalence! In the stories told to him as a child, he heard of how Hunters could use a special power called Aura, which gave them the power they needed to face the Grimm, with each individual gaining their own unique and extraordinary ability! 

Jaune remembered his father showing him his Sembelnce when he was younger, or well, showing an example of it. His father's Semblance allowed him to know when, how much, and whether it would rain on any given day within a week. Sure, it may be a rather...benign ability at first glance, but for his dad and his team, it was a godsend, as his father's Semblance allowed for his team to make adequate preparations for any future mission or assignment during their training.

His father gave him many examples of what Semblances could be; they sounded like they could range from things like elemental control to stuff like weather manipulation or mind reading. Was his... dream his Semblance? But didn't that require having Aura in the first place?

Left with more questions than answers, Jaune figured he could ask once he got to Vale and into Beacon, as the Professors would likely know if one could have a Semblance before Aura.

For hours, he walked, running into more and more Grimm and killing them with ease, though he hadn't run into any more Ursa, and it was nearing time for him to get some rest. As usual, he set up camp and ended up climbing a tree, getting nice and comfortable, and keeping his sword close by in case of a Grimm attack.

And when he drifted off to sleep, the next moment from consciousness to unconsciousness, he found himself sitting before the golden fire and back in the cave.

Sighing, Jaune grabbed his sword and shifted the scabbard into its shield form. Taking a few moments to breathe, Jaune headed forward. He's been through this area so many times that he had a mental map of where to go and where all of the enemies were hiding or waiting to attack. Calmly walking forward, Jaune passed by the first few humanoid monsters, easily killing each with a simple thrust and stab of Crocea Mors.

When he reached the open chamber with the bridge and a bunch of grass, he killed the monster at the bottom, thrusting his sword through its back, before once more blocking the bolts shot from the Crossbowman from above, before charging forward to avoid any more shots towards him.

Rushing up the ramp, he fought two more of the monsters before he reached the bridge where the crossbowman awaited, and his two friends further ahead. Bracing behind the shield, Jaune charged and slammed into the crossbowman monster, and after a few moments of struggling, killed the crossbowman before jumping to his feet and fighting the two other monsters ahead, just as easily as before.

Finally, he found himself standing before the Golden Fog Wall again, and he prepared himself for the fight ahead.

The monster that lay on the other side had killed him twice before, but Jaune knew its tricks now, and with any luck, he'd finally surmount this wall before him.

Stepping through, Jaune charged forward, meeting the monster head-on with his shield as the monster shoulder tackled directly into him. As before, the monster proved to have greater strength than Jaune, but Jaune was prepared for this. When he was pushed back, he planted his feet and thrust down towards the thigh of the monster with his sword, stabbing Crocea Mors directly through the monster's thigh, and not wasting a moment, he slammed into the monster with his shield, bashing them back and pushing them down to the ground.

Now stunned, Jaune managed to pull back his shield and slam the sharpened tip of the bottom of the shield directly into the monster's throat, letting go of the sword in the process to help thrust the shield downward.

It only took three hits before the monster crumbled into golden dust, and the Fog Walls on both sides of the rooms disappeared.

Jaune looked down at the monster as many streams of golden light flowed directly into his body, making him feel...whole. Huffing and puffing due to exhaustion, Jaune bent over and grabbed his sword before looking towards the side of the chamber from which the monster came. It was time to see what lay on the other side.